Can-end-feeding device



C. E. BRATT AND G. FLUCK.

CAN END FEEDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION man JUNE 28, 1919.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

C. E. BRATT AND G. FLUCK.

CAN END FEEDING DEVICE.

APPLlCATlON FILED JUNE 28, 1919.

C. E. BRATT AND'G. FLUCK.

CAN END FEEDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE28, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

Mill/WWW? C. E. BRATT .AND G. FLUGK.

CAN END FEEDING DEVICE.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

- 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- PATENT creme.

UNITED s A Es CHARLES E. 'BRATT AND GEORGE rLucK.

CONTINENTAL CAN COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK,ASSIGI TOBS T0 INC., 013 SYRACUSE, NEW .YORK, A CORPORATION cAu-nunrnnnme DEVICE.

Application filed June 28,

erence being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in can end feeding devices, and more particularly to a feeding device for delivering can ends to the seaming'station in a can closing machine.

An object of the invention is to provide a can end feeding mechanism of the above type wherein the can ends are conveyed one at a time from a stack-holder to the seaming station and centered at the seaming station by a continuously rotating can end feeding member. V

A further object of the invention is to provide a can end feeding device of the above character with means for placing a can end in the path of movement of a can end feeding member, which means is controlled by the filled cans as they pass to the.

closing machine. 1 p

A still further object of the invention is to provide a can end feeding mechanism of the above character with means for marking the can end as it is traveling from the stackholder to the seaming station.

Another object of the invention is to provide a marking device which may be readily shiMd for bringing into operation different marking dies.

These and other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings, which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention:- I r Figure 1 is a plan view showing a part ofa closing machine having the improvements applied thereto;

Fig. 2 isa sectional view on the linea-a of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view through the marking device showing a cover having an identifying mark impressed therein;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 9,1921. 1919.".seri 1 No. 307,414. j

Fig. 4: is a sectional of Fig. 1;

. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 0-0 of Fig. 1";

view on the line 0-?) Fig. 6 is a. detail showing more or less diagnammatically the assembled can end releasing mechanism; 0 y

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view at the seaming station showing a can end as placed and'centered by the. can end feeding mem- I a i her; 1

Fig. 8 is a view showing more or less gdi-agrammatically and infront elevation the marking devices withacan end between the same;

Fig. 9"is a face "view of one the interlocking members in'the train of mechanism for operating the marking devices; and

Fig. 10 is asimilar view ofthe companion interlocking member. 1

In the patent, to 1'. F. Warme, issued March 16, 1915, No. 1,132,291, there is shown and described a feeding mechanism 'for a closing machine which is adapted to form a double seam between the can end and the flange n the can body. In. this machine, there 1s a centering ring directlyT'beneath the seaming head having a tapered opening:

for centering thecan body,.and at the upper edge of this tapered opening there is a seat improvement in the can end feeding mecha-.

nism. shown inthis patent, and the invention resides broadly in the means for feeding the can ends from the stack-holder to the seatabove the tapered ring and centering the same relative to the openlng formed by the tapered ring. The invention also resides 1n the means for releasing the can ends one at a time so that they may be takenby the conveying member to the seamingstation, and

the invention further resides in the marking means which is so constri'ictedand arranged as to impress an identifying mark in the can endas it is traveling from the stackholder to the seaming station withoutin any way retarding the movement of the can end.

Referring more in detail to the drawings,

indicated at 6 in the drawings.

the invention is shown as applied to can. closing machine which is provided with a supporting bracket 1 carried by the usual frame of the machine which is indicated more or less diagrammatically in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. This sup-- porting bracket is formed with a tapered opening 2 for centering the can relative to the seaming head. Directly above said tapered opening is .a seating ledge 8 for the. can end, whlch seating ledge 18 so shaped as to center thecanend directly about the cen ter of the tapered opening 2. A can body is indicated in broken lines in Fig. l at C, and the can ends are indicated in the drawings at 0. At the upper face of the supporting bracket 1 is a cover plate 4: which .isformed with a central opening 5 through which the can end and can body at the upper portion thereof pass as they are presented to the seaming rolls. The construction of the centering ring and the seaming rolls, and the manner of. operating the same, form nopart offthe present invention and maybci o-f a construction shown more in detail in the Warme patent above referred to.

The can ends are stacked 'n a stack holder holder is formed with a supporting base '7 which carries, as herein shown, four rods 8 between which the stacked can ends are placed. Mounted within the supporting base of the stack-holder are two slides 9 and 10. The slide 9' is provided with a pin carrying a roller 11, while the slide 10 is pro vided with a pin carrying a roller-12.

ring 13 which is formed with an inclined slot 15, see dotted lines, Fig. 6, adapted to receive the roller ll which controls the slide 9. Said ring is also provided with an inclined slot 16" adapted to receive the roller 12. This ring 13 is adapted to be oscillated, and as it os cillates' it willmove the slides 9 and 10 toward and from the center of the stack-holder.

Each slot is provided with a curved tapered inner end indicated at 17 in the drawings.

lVhen the parts are positioned as shown in Fig. 4:, these tapered ends 17 pro ect within the stack-holder and the stacked can ends rest' thereon. When, however, said slides are withdrawn, then the stack descends onto the the drawings, extends from a point directly underneath the stack-holder to the can end seat at the seaming station. are moved'along the raceway therefor by Said stack- 1 Directly above the slides isa can end releasing After The can ends means of a rotating arm or member 19. triaid can end moying armor member is pro-. Vided with a forward face 20 which is adapt ed to engage the can end and move thesame along the race. In other words, this arm or member l9-travels in a plane in which the race lies, and'the extreme inner edge of the .raceiscut away to permit the movement of the arm with theinner end thereof projectlng into the race. "Mounted on the end of the arm 1s a plate 21 whlch 1s adapted to overlie the edge of the can end and insure said can ends being held against the face of the arm.

orq-meinbcr which feeds the same forward. r-rs the can endiis moved along by the arm, the tendency of the can end is to move outwardly away from the center of travel of the arm and this holds the can end against the outer end of the can end race.

The can end race is shapedso as to finally bringthe can'end to the can end seat at the seaming station. This can end race 1s 10-' cated in'part concentric with the center of movement of the can end feeding'arm or member 19 and'in part eccentric thereto, so that.rsaid can end gradually moves outwardly relative to saidv arm or member and finally the end ofsaid member or arm passes by the can end. This occurs ,when the can end is-fully located on the can end seat of theseaming station and centered relative thereto. Said 'arm' or member 19 is provided with a rounded nose 22 which aids in permitting the arm to pass the can cndwhen finally seated,'and th'ecnd of the arm in sures the centering of the can end directly above the center of the tapered opening 2.

The meansfor rotating the can end delivering arm or-member 19 consists of the following elements: Mounted on the vertical center shaft of themachine 22 is a gear 23 whichmeshes with a gear 24., and this gear 2i in turn meshes with a gear 25 which in turn meshes with a gear 26. The gear 26 is fixed to the lower end of a shaft mounted in suitable bearings 28 and 29 carried by the frame o'fth'e machine. [it the upper end of the shaft 27 is a beveled gear 30 which meshes with a beveled gear 31 mounted on the end ofa shaft 82. The shaft32 is mountedin suitable bearings 33 also carried by the frameof the machine. At the extreme-outer end of the shaft 32 is a beveled gear which meshes with a beveled gear 35 on a sh rt vertical shaft 36. This shaft 36 is mounted in a bearing 37 carried by the frame of the machine or the mainsupporting bracket 1. At the lower end of the shaft 36 is a sleeve 88 which is splined to the shaft 36 and rotates therewith. Said sleeve has an enlarged head which serves as a means for supporting the feeding arm or member 19. Said member is secured thereto by suitable bolts 39. As the shaft 36 rotates, this arm or member 19 will rotate therewith. It will be noted that this ingup another can end and conveying the" same to the feeding station.

The means for releasing the can ends also operates continuously and consists of the following mechanism: Mounted on the shaft 36 is an eccentric 40 which is adapted to cooperate with a sliding member 41. Said sliding member 41 is provided with a forked end 42 which straddles a pin 43, and this directs the reciprocating movement of the sliding member 41. A lever 44 is pivoted at 45 to the can end releasing ring 13." This lever at its other end is forked, as indicated at 44', and said forked end straddles a pin 46 which serves as a fulcrum pin for the lever. Mounted on the sliding member 41 is a pin 47 which is spring-pressed up by means of a spring 48. Said spring in part surrounds a sleeve 49 projecting upwardly from the sliding member 41 and bears against a plate 50 fixed to the upper end ofthe pin 47. The lower end of said pin has an enlarged head 51. When said pin is depressed, the head 61 extends down alongside of the lever 44 and serves as a means for connecting said lever to the sliding member 41. Said sliding member has a shoulder 52 which is adapted to engage the other side of the lever 44. It

will be readily seen that when the pin is lowered then the lever is held between said pin and shoulder and the vibrating movements of the sliding member through the action of the eccentric 40 will be imparted to the lever 44, and this in turn will oscillate the ring 13 and move the slides 9 and 10 back and forth. If the pin 47 is released, thenthe spring at once raises the same, and this re leases the member 44 so that the sliding mem- 1 her 41 will force thelever over tov the position shown in Fig. 6 where it will remain because there is nothing to return it when the slide moves back.

The pin 47 is controlled by a train of devices which are operated upon by the filled cans as they pass through the machine. Located along the runway for the filled cans, indicated in dotted lines at 53 in the drawings, is a pivoted arm 54. This arm is adapted to be engaged by a can and the can will move the arm rearwardly, as viewed in Fig. 1. When said arm is moved rearwardly, it will swing the arm 55 carried by and depending froma shaft 56. This shaft 56 is mounted in suitable bearings in the machine and carries at its other end an arm 57 which extends outwardly and is connected to the pin 47 by means of a pivot pin 5.8. It will thus be seen that when a can body passes through press the arm 57, and this will depress the pin 47 connected thereto and connect up the lever 44 with the sliding member 41, and this in turn will cause a movement of the ring 13 and the releasing of the can end so that the can end will be brought around and centered on the can end seat just as the can body is positioned underneath the tapered centering ring therefor. If, however, no can body passes by thearm 54, then the pin 47 is raised by the spring and no can end will bereleased from the stack.

Associated with the can end feeding mechanism is a marking means for impressing anidentifying mark in the can end. Said marking means consists of two rotating marking disks 59 and 60. Each marking wheel is provided with six dies, indicated at 61 in the drawingasee Fig. 8. These dies are arranged in pairs and each pair may be different so that any set of dies'may be brought into operative position to impress an identifying mark in the can end. The marking disk 59 is carried shaft'62, and the marking disk is carried by a shaft 63. The shaft 62 carries a gear 64 meshing with a gear 65v so that these shafts 62 and 63 will always turn in the same timing and. bring the marking dies into proper coiiperative action to impress in the can end an identifying mark. The shafts63- is provided with a beveledv gear 66 which meshes with a beveled gear 67. I The beveled gear 67 loosely mounted on the shaft 27. A disk 68 also loosely mounted on the shaft is bolted to the beveled gear and this disk forms one of two companion interlocking means for I securing the beveled gear to the shaft 27.

The'oth'er interlocking member in the form of a sleeve 69 and this sleeve is splined to the shaft so as to turn therewith. sleeve, however, may be moved endwise. on the shaft. The sleeve is formed with a face plate 70 which is provided with twelve radial grooves 71, see Fig. 9. The interlocking companion plate 66 is formed with two radially disposed lugs 72. These lugs 7 2 are adapted to engage the grooves '71 in. the face plate 70 ofthe sleeve 69. laid sleeve 69 is moved endwise by means of a fork 7?, which is fixed to a shaft 74, and this shaft 74 is By turning the hand wheel 75 the gear 66' so that for one rotation of the gear 67 the gear 66 will receive two rotations. The can end feeding arm or member 19 re tates in timing with the shaft 27. As a sult, when the dies come into contact with a" can end, the tendency of the dies is to move the can end away from the arm or member 19 and thus prevents any possible damage due tothe positive movements of the arm 19 and any lagging of the parts when the dies engage the member. The marking cisks are disposed in substantially the center of the race way for the can ends so that the can end is moved by the arm 19 in between the marking disks, and the dies will engage opposite sides of the can end and impress the identifying mark therein, temporarily moving the can end away from-the arm at least to a suiiicient extentto prevent any jamming of the parts. It will thus be seen that the can end is marked during its travel to the can end seat at the seaming station from the. stack, and tiis marking of the can end is brought about without in any way retarding the movement of the can ends so that the can ends may be fed positively by a continuously rotating mechanism.

lVhen it is desired to shift from one pair of identifying marks to anothei',tl1e interlocking member 69 is raised releasing the same fromthe member 68 which frees t e shaft 27. The disks are then turned to bring the locking lugs 72 into the next pair of grooves 71, or the desired pair of grooves 71 corresponding to the marking device which it is desired to bring into operation. The grooves 71 are so positionec that, when the lugs 72 are in a pair otgrooves, then the pair of marking dies are properly timed so as to engage and mark the can end as it is moved between the dies of the arm or moving member 19. In view t the fact that the gear 67 is twice the circumference of the gear 66, there are twice as many slots 71 as dies 61. i

The shaft 27 is connected to the gear 26 in the following manner. aid gear 26 is provided with a sleeve 76 which is freely mounted on the shaft 27. Clamped to the shatt 27 is a collar 77. Said collar is provided with a hardened bearingv sleeve 78 formed with a bearing thorethrough, and.

thesleeve 76 has a projecting lug carrying a similar bearing 79. These bearings are formed with openings 80 which are adapted to be brought into line and a pin to be in serted therein. This pin serves as a means for locking the sleeve 76 and thus the gear 26 to the shaft 27. It torany reason the parts of the can end teed should be blocked or clogged by the bending of a can end, the pin in the opening 80 will be sheared oft, thus releasingthe shaft 27 from operative connection with the main shaft of the machine.

lt'will be notedi'rom the above descrip; tion that the. can ends are-stacked in the stacleholder andv supported by the slides. F or each cycle of the machine, a can bet y is fed under the seaming head, and as it passes alon the guide-way it operates upon the controlling arm 5ato couple up the lever ll with the. slide ll, and this causes the releasing of a can end from the stack so that said can endywill be picked up by the rotating arm 19, moved along the can end race, pass between the marking dies, and thenonto the can end seat at the seaming station. The rotating arm or member 19 positively moves the can ends and positively positions the can ends at the seaming station.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement ot partsmay be made without departing from thespirit of the invention as set forth in theappendedclaims;

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire; to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination O f a supporting bracket having a can end seat at the'seaming station, a stack-holder, a can end race form d in said bracket and leading from the stack-holder to the can end seat, a con tinuously rotating member adapted to en gage the can end at the stack-holder and move the same along said can end race to said can end seat at the seaming station, and it marking dies iorjimpressing an ing mark in the can end as it along said can'end race and without stopping the movement of the can end.

2. The combination of a supp rting bracket havin a can end seat at the seam ing station, a stack-holder carried by said brr vertically disposed rotating shaft,

g member fixed to said shaft and to convey the can ends from the lder to the can end seat at the seamu e-centrio, a lever for releasing the .an ends from the stack, and means controlled by the can bodies passing to the seaming station for connecting said lever to said reciprocating member.

3. The combination of a supporting bracket havin a can end seat at the seaming station, a stack-holder carried by said brat-kc a vertically disposed rotating shaft, a. rotating member fixed to said shaft and operating to convey the can ends from the stack-holder to the can end seatat the seaming station, an eccentric carried by said vertical shaft, a sliding member reciprocated by said e centric, said sliding member having a Forked end, a pin connected therewith for guiding the movements of said sliding member, a lever for releasing the can ends from the stack, a spring-pressed pin carried by the sliding member adapted to engage said lever for looking the same to the sliding member, and means controlled by the can bodies as they pass to the seaming station for depressing said spring-pressed pin to cause the sliding member to belocked to the lever.

4. The combination of a supporting bracket having a can end seat at the seaming station, a stack-holder carried by said bracket, a vertically disposed rotating shaft, a rotating member fixed to. said shaft and operating to convey the can ends from the stack-holder to the can end seat at the seaming station, an eccentric carried by said vertical shaft, a sliding member reciprocated by said eccentric, said sliding member having a forked end, a pin connected therewith for guiding the movements of said sliding member, a lever for releasing the can ends from the stack, a spring pressed pin carried by the sliding member adapted to engage said lever for locking the same to the sliding member, and means controlled by the can bodies as they pass to the seaming station for depressing said spring pressed pin to cause the sliding member to be locked to the lever, can releasing slides, an oscillating ring for moving said slides in and out, said lever being pivoted to said oscillating ring.

5. The bracket having a can'end seat at the seaming station, a stack-holder, a can end race formed in said bracket and leading from the stack-holder to the can end seat, a continuously rotating member adapted to engage the can end at the stack-holder and move the same along said can end race to said can end seat at the seaming station, rotating marking dies for impressing an identifying mark in the can end as it passes along said can end raceand Without stopping the movement of the can end, and means for rotating the marking dies at a greater speed than the can end feeding member.

In testimony whereof, We afiiX our signatnres.

CHARLES E. BRATT. GEORGE FLUCK.

combination of a supporting 

